Floyd retiring from Masters

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AUGUSTA, Ga. – Raymond Floyd’s run at the Masters is over after 45 consecutive years playing here.

Floyd announced Tuesday that he won’t play for the first time since he made his debut in 1965.

“It was something that I toyed with pretty much all year as to whether I would play or not,” Floyd said. “I just feel that I've had so many fond, special memories here, and I didn't feel like I embarrassed myself out there on a big golf course. But it's getting to that stage, I'm 67 years old; it's getting to a stage for me that I felt like I wanted to leave with really fond memories of the golf course and the way I played the golf course through all of these years, and I'm not competitive there now. I didn't want to go out and embarrass myself; or play the best and make a whole lot of putts so I could shoot in the 70s.”

Floyd, the Masters winner in 1976, hasn’t made a cut since 2000. He will play the Par 3 Contest on Wednesday.

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Mell, a senior writer, is a 30-year veteran and covers the PGA and LPGA tours for Golf Channel.